Randy Gradishar, left, Ron Egloff and Dave Studdard were among the former Broncos attending Men's Night Out. (David Zalubowski, Special to The Denver Post)

With so many former Denver Broncos in the house, it could have passed for a team reunion. But Haven Moses, Billy Thompson, Dave Studdard, Randy Gradishar, Louie Wright and Ron Egloff weren’t at Hyde Park Jewelers in Cherry Creek Shopping Center to reminisce about their glory days on the gridiron. They were there to help raise money and awareness for men’s health initiatives at Denver Health Medical Center.

The athletes were among the 300 high-powered gents that showed up for Men’s Night Out, an event hosted every other year by Hyde Park’s owner and cofounder, Michael Pollak. Pollak is a member of the Denver Health Foundation board and started Men’s Night Out with the blessing of foundation director Paula Herzmark; it is believed to be one of the largest events of its type in the nation.

The theme this year was “Mad Men,” inspired by the popular TV show.

“What a great night this is,” observed David McReynolds, chair of the Denver Health Foundation board and the founder/president of Columbine Health Plan of Colorado. “It’s a wonderful way to show off Denver Health, and to build awareness for our men’s health initiatives.” By chance or by design, McReynolds was dressed in Broncos orange and blue: A navy pinstripe suit that he accessorized with an orange Hermes tie.

While there was no fee to attend the party, guests had several incentives to contribute money to the cause. Those making a $100 donation to Denver Health were given a Hyde Park gift card of equal value, and those giving $50 could spin a wheel of fortune for prizes that ranged from jewelry to grab bags.

Events like this are an ideal place to network over cocktails and a bite to eat. The latter included tasty treats from TAG, Elway’s Cherry Creek and Kona Grill.

Former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb also is a member of the Denver Health Foundation board and he was at the event, too, mixing and mingling with a crowd that included Dr. Chris Carey; retired CIGNA HealthCare president Daryl Edmonds; CBS Outdoor general manager Dan Scherer; MDC/Richmond American Homes president David Mandarich; attorney Ernie Blake; Dr. Morris Clark; restaurant consultant John Imbergamo; Pura Vida health club owner J Madden; and Greg Schmidt of Saunders Construction.

While Scherer was enjoying the party with buddy Mark Plummer, their wives were enjoying a girls night out at the Wynonna and Naomi Judd concert at Broomfield’s 1stBank Center. “We heard Wynonna at Western Fantasy, and that was enough country to last us for a while,” Scherer confided to David McReynolds.

Several members of the Denver alumni chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi were there to support their fraternity brother, Elbert D. Brown Sr., who served 17 years on the foundation board and remains an active supporter of Denver Health. The delegation included Elbert D. Brown Jr., Mark Brown, George Washington, Burtram Bruton, Leonard Newson and Ron Frierson.

Steve Farber outside the Denver Art Museum, where the party hosted by his law firm was held Sunday night. Photo by Joanne Davidson, The Denver Post

It must be tough to be Steve Farber, this week especially. As one of those responsible for bringing the Democratic National Convention to Denver, his schedule is daunting, to say the least.
Someone said he has almost 400 commitments during the convention’s run, and he’ll probably make all of them. But even this Energizer Bunny has his limits.
“I was so tired today that I passed out (for a nap) at 4 o’clock,” he admitted as he and law partner Norm Brownstein prepared to welcome about 2,000 of their friends at a “welcome to the DNC” party held Sunday night at the Denver Art Museum.
ProLogis and American Clean Skies were the co-hosts.
Crowded as Farber’s itinerary is, it pales next to that of Gov. Bill Ritter, who also attended the DAM bash. Ritter could only stay for a minute because he was due at Red Rocks Amphitheater to introduce singer Sheryl Crow.
Academy Award winning actress Charlize Theron had RSVP’d with a “yes” to the Farber fete; whether she made it was still up in the air at press time. Those who were there: media mogul Ted Turner, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee of Texas; Kathleen Brown, sister of former California Gov. Jerry Brown; and such local luminaries as U.S. Rep. Mark Udall, former legislator Tim Wirth; Rosemary Rodriguez, Denver’s former clerk and recorder who is now a member of the Election Assistance Commission; Stephanie Foote, president of the 2008 Roundtable Series; and John Morland, managing director/global communities for ProLogis.
DAM Director Lewis Sharp was there, too, as was former Gov. Bill Owens; Larry Mizel; Tom Strickland; Jeremy Kinney with wife Holly Arnold Kinney, owner of The Fort restaurant; Goldman Sachs vice chairman Bob Hormats; former Denver City Attorney Cole Finegan; Josh Hanfling; Blair and Kristin Richardson; Michael and Shereen Pollak, owners of Hyde Park Jewelers; attorneys David and Patty Powell; Walt and Georgia Imhoff; MDC President David Mandarich and wife, Bonnie; Linda and Dr. Richard Kelley; Barry Hitschfeld; Eula and Janet Adams; Paul Esserman; attorney Hubert Farbes; Dick and Marcia Robinson with daughter and son-in-law Ellen and Mark Schwartz; Rose Community Foundation President Sheila Bugdanowitz; Larry and Julie Gelfond; Susan Kirk; Michael James; Rollie Jordan and Dr. Bill Silvers; Rose Community Foundation’s chief financial officer, Anne Garcia; and National Jewish Health President Michael Salem who, on Wednesday, is having a lunch at his home for U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye of Hawaii.

Pictures taken at the Welcome to the DNC party can be viewed at denverpost.com/seengallery

Denver Post Society Editor Joanne Davidson can be reached at 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com

Study after study has shown that when it comes to charitable fundraisers, Denver has more per capita than any comparably sized city in the nation. Joanne Davidson has been covering them for The Denver Post since 1985, coming here from her native California where she'd spent the previous seven years as San Francisco bureau chief for U.S. News & World Report magazine.